Volunteers fill backpacks for students in need

Retired teacher Carol Seeburger wanted to help simplify back to school worries of both students and teachers by volunteering to pack backpacks.

Danielle Portteus

Retired teacher Carol Seeburger wanted to help simplify back to school worries of both students and teachers by volunteering to pack backpacks.

?As a retired teacher, I realize how important this is for the teachers to have all students ready to start school,? she explained. ?It?s also important for kids to have the supplies they need for the school year.?

Mrs. Seeburger, who taught art at Dundee and first and second grades, was among nearly 70 volunteers who helped fill backpacks Thursday morning at Lambertville United Methodist Church.

The Supplying Our Future Back Pack Coalition, which is spearheaded by the Salvation Army, sought donations from the community to fill nearly 1,000 backpacks for students.

The organization includes local service groups, schools, churches and organized labor. Community members donated a large sum of items including pens, paper, binders and folders among other items.

Each August, volunteers from a variety of groups including the Bedford Senior Center, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, contestants for Miss Monroe County and others gather to fill the backs for students in need.

Rows of tables were set up in the gym of the church and volunteers walked with two backpacks in hand while others filled the bags with school supplies.

?It?s nice to see how happy the kids are,? Jean Brown of Temperance said.

Backpacks will be distributed at two different locations. The first distribution will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Francis Family YMCA, 2000 W. Dean Rd., Temperance.

The second distribution will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Arthur Lesow Community Center, 120 Eastchester St., Monroe.

Parents who did not sign up can still attend the distributions and will receive the backpacks if they are available. Backpacks will be distributed first to the people who registered in advance.

Capt. Rob Whitney of the Salvation Army of Monroe County said this year the organization received a lot of supplies, but still needed to purchase a few items such as paper, pencil sharpeners and pencil boxes.

?The community was very responsive this year,? Capt. Whitney said. ?We had to purchase a few things that some people don?t necessarily think about.?

Ida residents Inez and Richard Moomey have been volunteering to fill backpacks for a number of years through the Bedford Senior Center.

?I think the main thing is we are helping people,? Mrs. Moomey said as to why she volunteers. ?We enjoy helping people who aren?t as fortunate as we are.?

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